


"Happy New Year, John."

by notjustmom



Series: What if... [8]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: M/M, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 05:12:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9107989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: Just a wee fic leading up to New Year's Day.What if our idiot boys actually talked after John's meeting with Irene...





	1. Chapter 1

They left Mrs. Hudson in her flat, after John was satisfied she was fine. John headed up first, followed by Sherlock. John headed to the kitchen for the good scotch Mycroft had sent over for Christmas, while Sherlock leaned against the door to close it.

"Why?" he muttered to the room, it seemed, and yet, John knew the question was meant for him.

"Why?"

Sherlock sighed and hung up his coat and scarf, then walked over to his chair and all but fell into it.

"Why do you care so much?"

John drank down his first drink, and poured another, before he walked over to sit across from his friend. "We're friends?"

Sherlock opened his eyes and pressed his hands together. "Friends. Is that what we are?"

"I hope so?" John answered quietly into his drink.

"Hmmm. Interesting. Just asking, since I've never had one before."

"Mrs. Hudson?"

"She's merely a client turned landlady." Sherlock sniffed, and got up to build a fire.

"Greg?"

"Who?"

"DI Lestrade?"

"Hmm. Friends? Nooo...more colleagues, I would imagine, I don't think he would consider me a mate."

John pinched his nose at the word 'colleague.' "I'm sorry. I didn't quite understand the whole point about Sebastian, why you took the job -"

Sherlock shrugged, and stood up, brushing the ash from his knees.

"Molly?"

Sherlock sighed and perched on his chair. "She is a different case, she's Molly."

John took another sip, then nodded.

"Irene?"

"What about her?" Sherlock's eyes turned to ice.

"She's diff -"

"Yes. She is intriguing, brilliant, ruthless, willing to break most taboos. There is something dangerous about her which I find interesting. If she were a man, she'd be quite ordinary, but as a woman...eh, no matter. She is incapable of forming true attachments, and yet, you, my friend, felt threatened by her."

"No. NO. Not threatened."

"Jealous. At the very least. Why would you be jealous, John?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Jealous?"

"Hmmm." Sherlock stepped from his chair and tended the fire absentmindedly.

"Why should I be jealous of her?"

"Why, indeed, John? She is simply an artifact of a case, intriguing as she is, you have nothing to worry about."

John put down his glass and whispered, "worry, what would I have to worry about?"

Sherlock sighed and knelt in front of the fire. "We've never talked about the Pool."

"What is there to talk about?"

"Why did you offer to give yourself up to save me?"

John stood up and walked to the window. "Been chewing on that, have you?"

Sherlock nodded to himself. "I've been considering, yes. I already know you have a bit of a death wish since you have continued to associate with me, and you tend to be attracted to danger...you don't have a date for tonight, and from what I understand, most unattached people go out of their way to have someone to kiss on New Year's Eve, and yet, you have made no attempts to obtain female companionship -"

"After Jeanette -"

"Boring school teacher."

"Right."

"I arrived at the conclusion that I no longer desire female companionship."

Sherlock turned and looked at the still figure at the window. "What do you desire, John?"

"Someone I can't have." Sherlock got to his feet and started to walk towards his friend, then stopped.

"You are quite sure of that?" Sherlock moved closer, biting his lip as he waited for John's answer. 

"He isn't interested, he is already married."

"Ah. I see."

"Do you?"

"Uhm. But you're not -"

"Gay? No. I'm not. But I have found much to my surprise that my heart and my brain don't seem to mind so much anymore."

"Oh." Sherlock stood behind John, close enough to reach out and touch, but he froze as John turned to face him. The detective blinked, then mumbled, "ask me again?"

"Ask you - ? Oh. Right. Boyfriend, then?"

Sherlock shook his head, then looked at his feet. "Never had one, never saw the point."

John cleared his throat, then whispered as Sherlock looked into his eyes, "It's fine, it's all fine."


	3. Chapter 3

"Breathe."

"I am breathing. At least I think I am?"

John grinned and laid a trembling hand against Sherlock's cheek. 

"Would it bother you too much, if I were to kiss you?"

Sherlock blinked and shook his head, as his voice had suddenly stopped working.

John nodded and moved his hand into Sherlock's hair, and they sighed together.

"John."

"Yeah, yeah I know." John tugged lightly and Sherlock gasped.

John closed his eyes as Sherlock leaned into him, and their lips brushed.

"Damn."

Sherlock's eyes flew open. John's dark blue eyes fairly glittered at him, and he noted -

"No. Don't."

"Don't what?" Sherlock managed finally.

"I'm not a crime scene for you to deduce, Sherlock."

"Of course you're not, I just -"

"What?"

"In case you change your mind, I want to have it memorised, if you find me lacking, or -"

John rolled his eyes and kissed him gently, but with intention, then stood back.

Sherlock swayed a bit, but John steadied him. "Why on earth would I change my mind?"


	4. Chapter 4

Sherlock pulled away and stared down at John's face; his eyes were closed, cheeks slightly flushed, and he was smiling. Smiling at him, as if he knew something that he didn't.

"What?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"Like what?" John opened his eyes, then shook his head. "You've never been kissed before, not even for a case. I'm the first person to kiss these remarkable lips of yours." He traced Sherlock's parted lips with his finger, before kissing him once more, just a tease of his tongue touched Sherlock's and John caught him before the detective melted to the floor.

"I didn't take you for a swooner," John whispered as they sat together on the floor, Sherlock's head cradled in one of John's strong hands. The other hand was unbuttoning Sherlock's shirt, bit by bit.

"John." Sherlock's hand covered John's and John's fingers froze.

"Too fast?"

"No. Just want to be sure, this is what you want. You want me? I just thought from what you said to-" 

"Irene?" 

Sherlock nodded and his breath hitched as John opened his shirt and placed his palm against his bare chest for a moment. They breathed together and John cleared his throat before beginning.

"Since the day we met, I've been aware of -" John brushed away a dark curl that had gone astray, and he paused for a moment. 

"Of?" Sherlock murmured, watching John's face carefully.

"An attraction, an affinity, something? I've never felt anything like it before, but you were so clear that you didn't want a, uhm, distraction from the work; it was enough just be your friend, your partner, it's more than I ever thought I'd have. But -"

Sherlock bit his lip, then reached up to touch John's face. " - it's more than mutual, John. I was afraid that I'd lose what we had if I ever said anything, and then Moriarty, he knew somehow, he understood, and I didn't want to put you in any further danger."

"To answer your question, I did what I did at the Pool because my life would be meaningless without you in it."

Sherlock sat up, looked down at his trembling hands and whispered, "it's just because of the cases, eventually you will get bored of me, John, bored of the quirks, and you will leave me. I'm not -"

"You are a world class idiot sometimes. My life would be meaningless because I love you."

Sherlock sputtered and shook his head. 

"Look at me, Sherlock, please. Look in my eyes, and tell me you don't see it?"

Sherlock blew out his breath and raised his head, trying to read everything about the man who sat in front of him, but his brain had short-circuited at some point, so he gave up. He finally met John's smiling eyes and he nodded. He heard the bells tell of the new year, and mumbled, "Happy New Year, John," before he leaned in for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very Happy Sherlock Day to all of my lovely readers, thank you so much for your support of my efforts over the year, and thank you for the love.


End file.
